The Gridiron Club is the oldest and most selective journalistic organization in Washington, D.C.
19-587: Frank A. De Puy (1854–1927) was one of several who met January 24, 1885, at the Welcker's Hotel in Washington, D.C. – 721 15th Street, N.W. , between New York Avenue and H Street – to form the Gridiron Club. De Puy was the last surviving founder of the club. Its 65 active members represent major newspapers, news services, news magazines, and broadcast networks. Membership is by invitation only and
38-656: A "Gridiron Widows' party" in the East Room of the White House for Labor Secretary Frances Perkins and those women whose husbands attended the Gridiron Club Dinner, as her first protest against Gridiron exclusion of women and by 1935, the annual event had grown into a "full-blown imitation". Until 2011, the Gridiron Club and Foundation's annual show was strictly invitation only. In 2011, the Gridiron Club and Foundation's annual show offered invites through
57-567: Is bringing the political press into disgrace. This is also true of the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner and the Radio and Television Correspondents' Association Dinner . In 1970, after the press's " sophomoric " skits Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew performed Dixie to the ire of the one black attendee. At the 2007 dinner, columnist Robert Novak impersonated Vice President Dick Cheney while satirizing
76-548: The Dallas Morning News served as president in 2008, and Susan Page of USA Today in 2011, making them the first married couple to have each served as Gridiron president. Chuck Lewis of Hearst Newspapers served in 2013. Tom DeFrank served in 2022. The annual Gridiron Club Dinner is all off-the-record . and traditionally features the United States Marine Band , along with remarks by
95-700: The Hotel Statler . Upon its completion, the building rose 150 feet (46 m), comprising 13 floors. The architect of the early modern style building was Holabird & Root LLC, A.R. Clas Associates. In 1947, Larry Doby , the first black baseball player to integrate the American League , became the hotel's first black guest when the Cleveland Indians were in town to play against the Washington Senators . Scenes from
114-529: The New York Times . During his career he published the book, The New Century Home Book , which was to act as a compendium for the home at the turn of the century. The book contains a wide variety of household tips and historical facts of that time. While technically out of print, this book enjoyed considerable popularity and thus can still be found in flea markets, older libraries, and sometimes on used books websites. Wentworth Press supposedly picked up
133-525: The President of the United States and satirical musical skits by the club members, and by the representatives of both political parties. The skits and speeches by the politicians are expected to "singe not burn", be self-deprecating or otherwise sharply comedic. Through 2020, every U.S. president since 1885 except Grover Cleveland has spoken at the dinner. (President Barack Obama attended
152-673: The Scooter Libby case, which Novak helped initiate. President Barack Obama attended the 2011, 2013, and 2015 Gridiron Club Dinners. President Donald Trump attended and addressed the 2018 Gridiron Club Dinner. The Gridiron Dinner was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The 2022 dinner on April 2 became a COVID superspreader event when at least 72 people tested positive, including Attorney General Merrick Garland , Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack , and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo . Proof of vaccination
171-892: The 2008 merger of the Club and the Foundation into one entity). The dinner is held in the spring, usually in March. Between 1945 and 2006, the dinner was held at the Capital Hilton . In November 1967, the club held its dinner and skits in Williamsburg, Virginia , outside Washington. In 2007, it moved to the Renaissance Washington DC Hotel. It is one of the few remaining large-scale, white-tie affairs in Washington. In 1933, Eleanor Roosevelt held
190-410: The 2011 dinner after missing both the 2009 and 2010 dinners. In addition, he sang as a senator in 2006.) Bill and Hillary Clinton have both spoken at Club dinners, and the 2008 dinner marked the sixth time that President George W. Bush attended during his presidency. The 2013 dinner was the 125th Gridiron Club and Foundation Dinner, but technically only the fifth Club and Foundation dinner (following
209-603: The Gridiron Foundation, in 2008 to form the Gridiron Club and Foundation , a 501(c)(3) organization . The Club and Foundation make annual charitable contributions and provide scholarships to a number of journalistic organizations and colleges, including the University of Maryland , George Washington University , and Norwich University . The presidency of the club rotates annually. Carl Leubsdorf of
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#1732765702161228-625: The Harvard Club of Washington, D.C. for a Sunday afternoon post-dinner reception and performance, for March 13 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., one day after the dinner. In 2017, the Gridiron Club and Foundation's annual show sold up to five tickets to the National Press Club members at $ 70 each, held 5 March 2017 in the Washington Renaissance Hotel, 999 Ninth Street NW, with a reception that began at 2 p.m. and
247-478: The book and republished it, but Wentworth is an Australian publisher that is out of business. Capital Hilton The Capital Hilton , originally named the Hotel Statler , is a historic hotel located just north of the White House on 16th Street in Washington, D.C. The hotel was built by Statler Hotels and began construction in 1940. It opened on January 18, 1943, in the middle of World War II , as
266-416: The classic 1950 film Born Yesterday were filmed outside the hotel and in its lobby, and much of the film is set in one of the hotel's luxury suites, which was reproduced on a soundstage. The Statler Hotels chain was sold to Hilton Hotels in 1954 and the hotel was renamed The Statler Hilton in 1958. On January 15, 1977, the hotel was renamed The Capital Hilton . CNL Financial Group began co-owning
285-544: The first woman journalist members in 1975: Helen Thomas of United Press International and Frances Lewine of the Associated Press . Helen Thomas would become the club's first woman president in 1993. Eventually, the club began expanding beyond print journalism to include media figures such as Tim Russert of NBC News , Bob Schieffer of CBS News , Mara Liasson of National Public Radio , and Judy Woodruff of PBS . The club merged with its charitable arm,
304-494: The property with Hilton in 2003. In 2007, the Capital Hilton was among the properties sold by CNL to Ashford Hospitality Trust. In 2013, Ashford Hospitality Trust spun off the Capital Hilton and seven other hotels as a separate company, Ashford Hospitality Prime. In 2018, the parent company was renamed from Ashford Hospitality Prime to Braemar Hotels & Resorts. The National Trust for Historic Preservation accepted
323-461: The reprise (show) that began at 3 p.m. and ended at 5 p.m. It claims to offer a neutral ground on which political operatives, members of the press and elected officials can break bread together. The Gridiron Club Dinner has been subject to criticism that it encourages journalists to engage in undue coziness with the political officials they are supposed to fairly cover, and also that the public spectacle of "playing footsie" with reporters' main subjects
342-637: Was historically almost exclusive to prominent newspaper men, including newspaper Washington bureau chiefs. For most of its history, the Club bylaws excluded women from becoming members or even guests at its annual dinner. Although the National Press Club began admitting women in 1971, the Gridiron was reluctant to follow suit. Women were first permitted as guests in 1972: several prominent women including several members of Congress, Coretta Scott King , and Katharine Graham , publisher of The Washington Post , were invited. The Gridiron Club elected and admitted
361-590: Was required for entry, and no cases of serious illness were reported as resulting from the dinner. Frank A. De Puy Frank A. De Puy (1854-1927) was a journalist and editor for the New York Times between 1877 through 1927. He was originally a Washington, DC correspondent, original member of the Gridiron Club and firm friend of Grover Cleveland . After the Panic of 1893, he joined The Times , The New York Herald , and The Tribune until returning to
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